Innovation grant funds oral history project

Dr. Melony Shemberger, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, was one of two inaugural recipients of the Faculty Innovation Initiative Grant awarded in April from the Giving Back Endowment at Murray State University. 


Dr. Melony Shemberger, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, was selected in April 2017 as an inaugural recipient of the Faculty Innovation Initiative grant, which provides initial project support to faculty across campus seeking to incorporate innovative approaches to student community engagement into their courses. Pictured with Shemberger are MSU President Dr. Bob Davies, left, and Dr. David Whaley, dean of the College of Education and Human Services.


The grant funds were used to purchase two Tascam audio recorders and shotgun microphones, plus cover printing expenses, for a community engagement project that focused on using oral histories as a news-gathering technique. The project was launched in the fall 2017 semester in her JMC 397 Reporting for Print Media course (renamed In-Depth Reporting beginning in spring 2018) and will continue throughout the spring semester.

The students unveiled the oral history-news project at a Scholars Week presentation on Nov. 15. This project examined public education in Kentucky in the years before standardized testing became common.

The oral history-education news reporting project will continue in the spring 2018 semester. In December, she received a Bring Learning to Life grant to purchase additional Tascam devices for students to use in additional oral history interviewing assignments.

The project can be accessed online at https://kyeducationstories.omeka.net/. A Facebook page is available at this link: https://www.facebook.com/edoralhistory/.

Shemberger delivered a presentation about using oral history across the disciplines at a research presentation for the Faculty Development Center.

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